Team Beachbody Guest

Our Journey to Total Fitness
By: Coach Filipina

I just turned 37 in June and realized I have gained a few more pounds since Vince and I got married in September of 2008. Vince and I love to cook. Our diet was filled with carbs, rice for me and pasta for him. Coming from an Asian descent, rice was difficult to get rid off. Likewise for Vince, coming from an Italian descent and being a Chef for a few years, he couldn't stay away from pasta, pizza and garlic bread. Vince makes the best homemade gravy and pizza I've ever tasted. We both love to cook and have family and friends over to enjoy our cooking. Vince & I also love desserts, unhealthy snacks and coffee. It didn't take long before Vince and I grew fatter. YES FAT and UNHEALTHY! We would kid with each other when we hug that one day we really wouldn't be able to reach each other since our bellies will be on the way. Funny but not really amusing. We also love to cuddle and sit in our beautiful leather coach and watch the tube and eat popcorn with lots of butter and Goobers or Rocky Road. It was fun at first until we started getting sick and complain with aches and pain. We also always felt tired. I had a skin condition called Psoriasis since I was 17 and it comes and goes depending on how stress and healthy I am. At this point my body was very acidic and unhealthy that my skin was all flared up and covered with Psoriasis. Vince had experienced a couple of injuries - knee and shoulder - and it gives him pain every so often. Since we met in 2006, we both gotten unhealthy and our cholesterol had soared because of our lifestyle. If it weren't for taking vitamins, we would probably be worst.

We've told each other how we should start exercising, loose the weight and eat healthy but we've only gone so far with it. Probably like most people we've talked to, we've faced the same challenges and excuses before we finally committed to stepping up and just take action. Here are a few excuses we came up with:

- I'm too tired today, let's do it tomorrow.
- Let's just relax today, my body hurts.
- Maybe we can start on Monday.
- Maybe we can start after the holidays.
- We can't afford to pay a personal trainer.
- Maybe when we make more money, we can make more time to exercise.
- Too tired to wake up early to exercise.
- Too late to work out after work.
- Too expensive to join the gym.
- Not enough time in the world.
- I love pizza. I love Pasta. I love Rice.
- We can start tomorrow.
- Honey, I can't run. It hurts.

And the list goes on. Okay, so how many of these BS can you relate with?

Yeah, we know! We gone through it and sometimes we still can come up with excuses.

Until one day, we both got fed up by own bull shit. So we tried assessing our options:

- Local Gym Subscription
- Running and calisthenics
- Pull up and Push up machines and Ab Lounger, Rebounder, etc.
- other workout videos like Billy Blanks and core secrets, etc.
- Even bought a Total Body Gym and started working together in our basement
- Tried being semi-vegetarians

These options worked but we couldn't sustain the lifestyle. We wanted something we both can do together and commit to in our lifetime.

One Saturday morning while Vince was working overtime, I've decided to turn on the TV and check out what's on. (I usually don't watch TV without Vince unless it's prime time every once in a while.) Flipping the channels, the only interesting thing that caught my attention was the P90X infomercial with Tony Horton. I could not believe it my eyes...

Muscle confusion, 12 workouts in the comfort of your own home...Weight Training, Sculpting, Yoga, Pilates, Martial Arts...I was hooked!

I took immediate action and purchased the program. I've never played sports in my life, always at the sidelines cheering. I did however learned a little martial arts and kick boxing and even competed in tournaments when I was in my twenties. I know my husband would love it since he served in the Marines for 7 years. He had showed me and my daughter how he worked out with just body weight. I know he would love the pull ups and push up exercises and the weight lifting.

My husband was skeptical at first but he trusted my decision. We got the DVD program end of March but we didn't get started until almost the last week in April and the rest is history. (Please check out our blog for details on how we prepared before starting the program.)

It's been 60 days since we started. I have seen an impeccable improvement in my skin. I also lost about 5 lbs and 1 and 1/2 inches in my waist so far. My husband was able to slowly rehabilitate his knees and shoulders as Tony Horton shows the workouts in different levels and modified moves. Vince lost about 11 pounds to date and 2 inches around his waist.

Besides working out 6 days per week with Tony Horton, we also found a solution to our nutritional challenges. Since we love shakes, smoothies and frosties, the Shakeology Meal Replacement is the best reward ever on a hectic day. We can replace a meal with our favorite delicious treat - Greenberry Shakeology - whenever we want. The best part is it is also good for our growing kids. It is so delicious that our daughter loves it too. It has all the essential vitamins and minerals including the fatty and amino acids from natural and organic sources. We are thrilled to jump start our health and not give up our love for desserts:-) We also take protein shakes after our workouts to help us build and maintain our muscles mass and eliminate or reduce soreness.

Vince and I still get to spend time together and cuddle in front of the tube only this time we are more active while "pushing play" with Tony Horton and his gang. We hug and kiss more as we bump fist or when we X our biceps for P90X. It is extra special to workout with a buddy especially a loved one. It's a date! We both feel healthier and energized. Now I can throw football and even learned how to play softball. We both can keep up with the little kids and teenagers in our families. Thanks to P90X Plyometrics X!

Bring it!

So this is the beginning of our journey to total fitness, now on our way to getting financial fit as well as we workout by signing up as coaches. Now besides sharing healthier meals with our family, we can also share our new found passion of getting healthy, staying fit and getting paid.

What a empowering feeling!

Join us in this journey! Together we can make our lives so much better. Together we can succeed. Together we can make a difference.

Join Team Beachbody and fulfill the life you've always imagined.

Here's to your success!

With gratitude and love,
Filipina

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